Pubdate: Tue, 30 Dec 2014
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2014 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122

DISTURBING NEWS ON MARIJUANA USE

There's no way to put a positive spin on the latest news on marijuana 
use in Colorado since the passage of Amendment 64. Usage has gone up, 
and what had been mostly anecdotal evidence just got a serious 
confirming boost from the federal government's National Survey on 
Drug Use and Health.

In fact, the percentage of Coloradans over 12 who reported using 
marijuana in the previous month for the years 2012-13 rose to the 
second highest in the country- 12.7 percent- after Rhode Island.

This is obviously disturbing-unless perhaps those responsible for the 
increase are cutting back on other recreational drugs. But as a 
matter of fact, the opposite seems to be true. The same federal 
survey shows the use of other drugs, as well as the use of alcohol 
and the non-medical abuse of pain relievers, also increased in 
Colorado during the same period, although generally by smaller percentages.

Before pushing the panic button, however, there are several things to 
keep in mind.

First, it was always probable that marijuana use would increase by a 
modest amount after legalization, even if most people who wanted the 
drug were already getting it illegally. The question was always how 
much consumption would rise and whether it would be worth the 
tradeoff of bringing pot out of the underworld and into a transparent 
and regulated environment.

It's still impossible to answer that question until we see where 
marijuana consumption ultimately settles.

In the short term, it's reasonable to expect consumption estimates to 
rise again, since the federal survey included data from only the 
first year of legal pot and not 2014, the first year of retail sales. 
So it's important to see where consumption settles, and that may not 
be apparent for several more years.

Keep in mind, too, that Colorado's marijuana use had already been 
trending up before Amendment 64 - and even before the advent of 
medical marijuana dispensaries- and so apparently reflects underlying 
issues beyond legalization.

None of this means the verdict on Amendment 64 has been written or 
that consumption patterns can't be changed. But it does suggest 
complacency about legalization is misplaced as well.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom